bubbaclark
Member
In most games when you enter a new level they have a loading screen. With a big picture usually related to the game and a loading bar. IS that possible to make in XP? Would that be considered doing a "Show Picture" event?
Loading Screens?
- Thread starter bubbaclark
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markGRIEVER
Member
It's possible using a "show picture" event (you'd just need several, sequential pictures with the "loading bar" creeping upwards slowly), but why would you put in a loading screen when the game doesn't need one?
bubbaclark
Member
Well actually it really doesnt need the loading bar, I was just using that as an example in games they ussually always have a loading bar
jimme_reashu
Member
I made a loading screen for one of my projects, before I got too busy. That was because I needed it though; lots of data had to be scanned, and the results stored, every time a map was loaded. What I did was this:
Set a variable (say @max) to a reasonable value.
Set another variable (say @current) to 0.
Every time an operation which is part of the loading completes, increase @current by one. @max should be set so that the loading is finished when @current == @max.
Then, before the loading starts, I created a new thread which would draw the loading bar based on the two variables, then make the graphics update, then sleep for 0.2 seconds and allow the main thread to continue.
If you didn't quite catch that last part, chances are nothing you write needs a loading screen.
Most things you find won't need it either.
If you still want a loading screen, because it's "cool" or something, then do some searching. Zeriab made one, and I'm sure there are others, ready to be used and abused.
Set a variable (say @max) to a reasonable value.
Set another variable (say @current) to 0.
Every time an operation which is part of the loading completes, increase @current by one. @max should be set so that the loading is finished when @current == @max.
Then, before the loading starts, I created a new thread which would draw the loading bar based on the two variables, then make the graphics update, then sleep for 0.2 seconds and allow the main thread to continue.
If you didn't quite catch that last part, chances are nothing you write needs a loading screen.
Most things you find won't need it either.
If you still want a loading screen, because it's "cool" or something, then do some searching. Zeriab made one, and I'm sure there are others, ready to be used and abused.
I made one once, for a game I was working on.
Basically, it was a image with the game name on it, and a little "tip" on the level and such, and there was a rectangle near the middle-bottom of it that was cut out of the image (it was a transparent image) and then I had a red picture move BEHIND this main one from left to right to simulate a loading bar ^_^ when it got to the other side (like 5-8 seconds) "Press any key" came up and that was how I did it ^_^
Basically, it was a image with the game name on it, and a little "tip" on the level and such, and there was a rectangle near the middle-bottom of it that was cut out of the image (it was a transparent image) and then I had a red picture move BEHIND this main one from left to right to simulate a loading bar ^_^ when it got to the other side (like 5-8 seconds) "Press any key" came up and that was how I did it ^_^
1) I think it's useless in 99% of the time
2) I added a loading screens to my game (on XP) only when the map took more than 5 seconds to load. I simply used a picture.
Loading screens are not there to look cool, it only makes you wait while the game is loading something and as Despain said, no SNES-era games should need loading screens.
But it's doable.
2) I added a loading screens to my game (on XP) only when the map took more than 5 seconds to load. I simply used a picture.
Loading screens are not there to look cool, it only makes you wait while the game is loading something and as Despain said, no SNES-era games should need loading screens.
But it's doable.
It depends on the game style...
For example, I was making a dungeon style game similiar to FATE, where the player sorta has a goal, but the aim of the game was to go deeper and deeper into the dungeon, and come back out to restock and such, and then go back in and hopefully go father.
It all worked with a storyline lol, it was not as stupid as "go fight you fag, and go deep as you can without dying"
But, the loading screen provided the oppertunity to display game tips and strategies, even if only for a few seconds, as well as tell the player sometimes where he is, what he might be heading into... etc..
For example, I was making a dungeon style game similiar to FATE, where the player sorta has a goal, but the aim of the game was to go deeper and deeper into the dungeon, and come back out to restock and such, and then go back in and hopefully go father.
It all worked with a storyline lol, it was not as stupid as "go fight you fag, and go deep as you can without dying"
But, the loading screen provided the oppertunity to display game tips and strategies, even if only for a few seconds, as well as tell the player sometimes where he is, what he might be heading into... etc..